Scottish MPs have given their verdict following the latest Brexit vote in Westminster last night.
Aberdeen South
Aberdeen South MP Ross Thomson last night said he voted for Sir Graham Brady’s amendment to give the Prime Minister a stronger hand when she goes back to Brussels.
The hard Brexiteer Tory MP, who voted against Theresa May’s deal earlier this month, supported the amendment calling for “alternative arrangements” to replace the Irish backstop.
Sir Graham Brady’s amendment had the support of Theresa May’s government and the DUP and passed through the House of Commons by the narrow margin of 16 votes.
But Mr Thomson also warned that if the backstop was not changed then the prospect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal was still on the table.
Mr Thomson said: “I backed the Brady amendment tonight because I want to strengthen the PM’s hand when she goes back to Brussels.
“Theresa May can now make clear to the EU 27 what needs to happen to get this deal through parliament.
“It is clear that the EU Withdrawal Agreement must be reopened. We need legally-binding changes to the Northern Ireland backstop.”
He added: “If that does not happen, the UK can and will leave without a deal.”
Gordon
His Conservative colleague Colin Clark, MP for Gordon, said: “People across my constituency of Gordon want Brexit to be settled and so do I.
“The Brady amendment offered the chance for both sides of the Conservative party, the DUP and many Labour members to come together.”
Before the passage of the Brady amendment, Dame Caroline Spelman inflicted defeat on the government with MPs narrowly voting for her amendment saying they were not prepared to leave the EU without a deal.
Orkney and Shetland
But Lib Dem Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael claimed the prospect of a “no deal” Brexit had not been banished, given that the Spelman amendment was “non-binding” on the government.
Mr Carmichael said: “It is clear from votes in the House of Commons that divisions in the Labour Party are as deep as they are with the Tories.
“As a result, a no-deal Brexit is still a step closer. Farmers and crofters will be worried about what the future holds for them in just eight weeks.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted that there had been a “woeful abdication of responsibility”. She said: “The House of Commons could have asserted itself tonight. Instead it indulged the PM’s decision to chase a fairy tale at the behest of the DUP and the European Research Group and increase the risk of a ‘no deal’ in the process.”
Ross, Skye and Lochaber
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford claimed the Conservatives had “shafted” Scotland and “ripped up” the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland.
Speaking in the Commons, the Ross, Skye and Lochaber MP said: “This is a sad day. For the prime minister has had to admit that her deal does not have the support and she’s prepared now to try and pick away at the backstop.
“We were told the backstop was there to protect the peace process. But tonight the Conservative Party has effectively ripped apart the Good Friday Agreement.
“This House should be ashamed of itself. The contempt shown by the United Kingdom Government right across these islands is stark. This government, Westminster and the Tory Party has no respect for the devolved administrations of the other nations. Scotland has been silenced, side-lined and shafted by the Tories.”